International Childrens Film Festival Begins

The festival is launched with an opening gala and an awards ceremony for "Big Films From Little Filmmakers" that link into film screenings which will bring children of the same age groups together to watch films that are made for them.

This year's events encompass two main activities, first of which consists of workshops that will be held between 15-16 November at the Ihlamur Palace aimed at introducing children to behind the camera and enthusing them to like the cinema.

The second section of the festival between 17 and 30 November consists of screening of films at the Istanbul Cinecity movie halls and the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Cinema TV Center in Balmumcu.

Children aged between 2 and15 will be able to watch over 100 films that will be screened and approved by pedagogues at four different places: Cinecity D-Point Etiler, Bonus Premium Cinecity Trio Kozyatagi, Cinecity Olivium Zeytinburnu and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Balmumcu.

The films have already been grouped for four separate age groups which are children over two years old, children over five, children over nine and those over 13, while families will also be able to accompany their children throughout the event.

Contributions to this years festival come from over 30 countries including Lithuania, France, Iran, Germany, USA, Singapore, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Britain, Portugal, India, South Korea, China, Belgium, Moldavia, Finland, Holland, Norway, Taiwan, Bosnia Herzegovina, Denmark, Canada, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey.

As of this year, the International Istanbul Children's Film Festival will also be conducted outside of Istanbul, namely in Kelkit between 20-24 November.

The festival is the only member festival in Turkey to the International Children Film Center (CIFEJ). A total of nine films will be competing for the CIFEJ award.(KO/II/EU)

* To get more detailed information on the festival and see the program click here.